Orlom
Appearance This tall (6"5), well-built, and serious-looking man seems to have had his face chisled, expressionless and stern. His head is void of any hair, save for the sides, and it all seems clean and well-cared for, black to the strands. But, his bright, light blue eyes carry a glint of warmth to them, as if his being is only a sheath to hide his kind-heart. His armor is polished and clean, but the knicks and notches imbedded within the armor show much battle experience to the hulking man. If any part of his flesh shows, some scars can be seen, most of them looking large and jagged. Judging from his posture and countenance, this man seems to be a soldier. =History= =Birth Of A Swordsman: Amidst The Second War= Humble Beginnings Orlom Gainsborogh was born into a small family, him being the only child of his loving parents, Krom and Nadia Gainsborogh. Krom was an astute officer in the Stormwind army while Nadia was a skilled tailor of sorts, and had a small shop located in Stormwind's Trade District. During his young years, Orlom was educated by Stormwind's finest, reaching great heights in his education, and being taught swordsmanship by private tutors employed by Krom. In truth, Krom himself was the boy's teacher, and the tutor's were usually brushed aside "for their incompetence." Regardless, the child grew to be a great and intelligent swordsman. Retreat And Calling During his teenager years, Orlom was one of many who witnessed the Orcish Horde invade and pillage the great kingdom of Stormwind. He and his mother escaped the burning kingdom to Stromgarde, and Krom followed shortly afterwards after a fruitless effort to purge the enemy from the city. This is where Orlom decided where he wanted to lead his fate, and enlisted into the Stromgarde military. Krom stayed behind instead of helping the war effort on the front lines so he could train his son. He lost an arm anyways, so he wouldn't be able to do much in battle. A Noble Path Through the years, Orlom worked hard to become an even greater swordsman. His intelligence grew with his practice, and he ultimately gained recognition for his skills, but quiet demeanor. At the ripe age of twenty, Orlom was finally sent out to the front lines to battle against the vicious Orcs. But, after a day on ship, unfortunate news came to his knowledge. His father had passed away in his sleep, due to old age. In The Army Despite the terrible news, Orlom only became more determined to defeat the Orcs and regain his homeland. He battled gracefully, and fell many an orc here and there. Under the banner of Anduin Lothar, he fought the Horde, and the Alliance caused the invaders to recede. When Lother was slain, Orlom's resolve grew stronger. He was one of many to witness the Dark Portal's closing. With the Second War ending, Orlom decided to travel back to Stromgarde and move back to Stormwind and assist in rebuilding. Catastrophes And Recoveries When Orlom had finally reached Stromgarde, more terrible news was given to him. His mother had passed away in her sleep as well, and now Orlom found himself alone. Nadia's funeral was held a few days later, and afterwards Orlom hopped on a ship heading to Stormwind and began helping the effort to rebuild. This is where he began balding. Even so, good things came upon him, and he married a lovely woman named Kiera. The two made their home in a house near the Park and lived there happily. The Cult, The Scourge, And Impending Doom For the years, Orlom trained and helped train the soldiers in the Stormwind army, educating and testing incoming recruits. Kiera worked alongside Orlom as a fletcher and bowyer for Stormwind's archery section, and the two worked even closer on the field. When the call for war rang out through Stormwind, Orlom answered it. During this time, Kiera discovered she would be giving birth soon, and decided to settle down and stay in Stormwind. Orlom headed out and assisted Uther's troupe as a footsoldier. Internal Conflict During his service in Uther's troupe, Orlom witnessed the disbanding of the Silver Hand at Arthas's behest. Orlom heard the command go down to cull Stratholme, but did not take part in any of the killings, much like Uther, Jaina, and any other righteous soldier who refused to slaughter innocent people, no matter how dire the circumstances were. He fought much in his career, but this is one battle that he refused to participate in. With this, he simply headed back to Stormwind... or, at least, tried to. Back Into The Fray Following the events in Stratholme, Orlom decided to leave the fight against the Scourge behind him and just simply try and return to Stormwind. However, his journey was short-lived, as he heard that an expedition, led by Jaina, was going to sail west to the lost lands of Kalimdor. With recent events, and the fear of his growing family, Orlom decided he would sail with Jaina's group as well, and make a new life in Kalimdor. But, the only problem with this goal was convincing Kiera to leave Stormwind. At this point in time, his head was fully bald. Choosing For The Better About a month had passed, and at this point Arthas was lost within the frozen lands of Northrend - the Roof of the World. Despite the dangers of the Scourge dissipating, Orlom continued to fear for his family, and still wanted to take his chances at sailing to Kalimdor with Jaina's expedition. However, he also feared for his new daughter, who was conceived a few days after Orlom's arrival to Stormwind. It was a difficult choice to make, for Emily was too young to sail across the seas. Would Orlom stay, and brace for whatever warnings were unforeseen by anyone except him? Or would be sail over the seas and risk the lives of his beloved and daughter? Life In Kalimdor Orlom, successful in convincing Kiera to sail with him, joined the Human Expedition to Kalimdor. At first, their lives were lived calmly, and Emily endured the trip over seas to become a well-versed young girl. Her forté was literature and writing, but she did just as well in mathematics. Orlom, Kiera, and Emily lived a better life without danger among the expedition's people. Impending Doom Resurfaces They lived peacefully, but it did not last. Information arrived among the expedition, and they were hurdled into battle against the Horde which somehow managed their way to the lost lands. With danger resurfacing, Orlom donned his equipment once more and headed out to battle. Everything began changing, and at an incredible rate. All Hell Breaks Loose The battle between the Alliance survivors and Horde quickly drew to a close. The next thing Orlom knew, he was witnessing a pact between Thrall, Cairne, and Jaina in a murky cave below Stonetalon. An Oracle - the Prophet, Medivh - had just united the races against what was known as the Burning Legion. Orlom found more resolve to fight, and he did it beside the New Horde. There was no rivalry; there was only the fight to see another day on Azeroth. There was only the determination to see his family again. Mount Hyjal The fate of Azeroth now depended on the brave souls stationed on Mount Hyjal. Orlom and the Alliance's allies fought tooth and nail to hold off the invading Scourge and Burning Legion, and were narrowly successful until Archimonde came into the fray. Everything was burned down and decimated, and those barely alive were teleported away by Jaina Proudmoore. Orlom too survived, barely, bleeding, but survived nonetheless. The preceding forces were cut down, and Archimonde arrived at the tree itself. And for all after that moment, is only history. Afterwards Orlom healed, and began his life with his family in the newly crowned city of Theramore. Everything was at peace for them, but recovery in spirit was not so gentle around them in truth. There was talk of rebellion and anarchy within the ranks, and many of Theramore's soldiers were dismissed. Despite the dangers finally waning, life in Theramore found itself to be less peaceful than in Stormwind. But, perhaps, he would finally settle down here instead. They had enough fear for one lifetime. There Was The Light In the long run, things looked up to Orlom and his family. For a birthday present, Orlom forged a small suit of armor for Emily, and she wore it with pride and dignity. All was well in Theramore, and there was no fear of Scourge, Burning Legion, or danger. And Then There Was The Darkness Peace never came easy for Orlom. Somehow, sometime, the Defias set up shop around the outskirts of Theramore. Kiera went out to hunt game, but her hunt took much more longer than normal. Concerned, but not fearing, Orlom set out to find his beloved. What he saw provoked much anger in him; much anger that was restrained due to his meek voice. Storm, Earth, And Fire The Defias took Kiera's life. Whether by accident or incident could not be argued, for the evidence was clearly in sight when Orlom approached the men with the bloodied daggers. Orlom unleashed his rage upon the villains, and slayed every one of them in vengeance. There was only this vengeance, and nothing more. After the bloody ordeal was complete, Orlom simply took Kiera's body and buried her in the graveyard outside of Theramore. The "Bad" Feeling This situation took most of Orlom's senses and casted him into paranoia. Fearing for his child, Orlom decided to leave Theramore and head back to Stormwind and start another beginning. As the two left, they caught wind that Admiral Daelin Proudmoore resurfaced and took over Theramore. Orlom's paranoia had saved his daughter and him from an event of excruciating confusion. =The Burning Crusade: Back On The Job= Some years had passed, and Orlom retired from his military duties and settled on a small farm in Elwynn Forest. Emily continued her schoolwork, enrolling into an academy located in Stormwind for the best and brightest. Things seemed fine for the two and they lived their lives in peace. In truth, however, Orlom continued to bear the burden of raising Emily alone, and that fateful day in Theramore continued to raze his mind. His paranoia continued to grow. Old Times News reached the farm that the Dark Portal had opened up once more and that Orlom was called once again to don his equipment and fight against the hordes of demons that were surging through the portal. Even though retired, he regretted that he did not go with those who sacrificed themselves and closed the portal from the other side. This situation sundered his mind, debating whether or not to receive closure or to continue raising Emily. With many thoughts and a heavy heart, Orlom had to decline, and thus continued his life on the farm, raising Emily. Die Hard The recent opening of the Dark Portal continued to gallop through Orlom's mind. It asked for closure and wanted to do battle against the demons to make a path through to the other side, but his immediate family had to be taken care of first. This was all settled when the Defias caught wind of Orlom's presence in Elwynn. Despite the Defias's terrible loss of Vancleef, some remaining members continued to wreak havoc throughout the areas they usually controlled. As such, some Defias came to Orlom's farm and burned it to the ground. Sufficed to say, Orlom was not amused in the least bit. Fire And Brimstone Enraged, Orlom killed whatever Defias presence there was at his now destroyed farm and left. He realized his sword skills had deteriorated and required retraining if he was to do any battle, especially against minions of the Burning Legion. Too eager to wait, he immediately left Elwynn with his rusty sword skills and traversed to the Dark Portal. Emily was placed under the care of a good friend of Orlom's as he fought on the front lines. Hammer Time Days of battle wore Orlom out, and he acquired an interest in maces because of their low-maintenance in war. During his time at the Dark Portal he found a fellow veteran who fought alongside him during the Second War and asked for training. Soon enough, Orlom became learned in using the mace and fought more efficiently in battle against the Burning Legion. And also soon enough, the Burning Legion's grip on the Dark Portal waned, and the Alliance and Horde forces burst through the portal and finally into Outland. Closure Orlom's mind finally found closure when he arrived at Honor Hold. He spoke long with old friends and exchanged news of the status of Azeroth. Briefly, he spoke with Danath Trollbane, and then acquainted himself in the Sons of Lothar. He fought valiantly along his old companions and helped keep Honor Hold alive as the Burning Legion sent itself to destroy the small outpost. Just as he was beginning to feel at peace with his comrades, a situation arose in Azeroth that almost shattered his reality. Disaster Upon Disaster While Orlom was in Outland, Emily continued her studies and passed to the next grade with high standings. Emily's caretaker was good to her, and almost raised her like Orlom did. The catastrophe that alarmed Orlom occurred with the caretaker, who was arrested under grounds of smuggling and treason. Emily was sent to a crude orphanage, where she was forced to do labor and shirk on her studies. Orlom wasted no time in getting back to Stormwind to try and mediate the situation, but the things waiting would cast Orlom into more disaster. Never Again Orlom was indicted as an accessory to treason once he arrived in Stormwind. He was stripped of his rank, his bank funds taken, and any land he owned was also gone. Almost like a mockery of mercy, Orlom was only exiled rather than executed because he had a daughter to raise. Angered and humiliated, Orlom decided to ultimately leave Stormwind and never return again. He headed back to Theramore and hoped that the government there would accept him once more. A Cold Season Luckily, Orlom was reinstated within the Theramore ranks and given back his prior rank. He also inherited Kiera's land and possessions and made a simple living, doing whatever he was asked to do and raising Emily at the same time. Money came slowly, but surely, and during this time Orlom realized the irony that occurred to him when he decided to come back to the city that he abandoned. Hopefully, this would be the last time he moved. End The next few weeks went on steadily. Orlom worked hard in Theramore and continued to gain a reputation as a good soldier and blacksmith. Emily continued her studies peacefully, holding her streak as the educated child of the Gainsborogh family. Other than Orlom's usual odd jobs and mercantile lifestyle during his off-hours, nothing of other note can be said, and the two enjoyed a peaceful life for the while. Category:Alliance Category:Alliance Warrior Category:HumanCategory:User:BerlshenkCategory:Orlom